Fill out the Field Trip Request Form online anytime, or call the Reservations Department. The Reservations Department is available Mon-Fri from 8am-4pm by calling 414.765.8625. A minimum of three weeks advance notice is required to secure the group rate for field trips and to book activities. Greater notice is recommended if extra programming is desired. We will not accept reservations made with less than three weeks notice. Group rates are only available for groups of 10 or more students with advance reservations.

To keep your reservation, we will require final headcount and full payment for your visit at least two weeks prior to your visit date. No changes to diminish headcounts will be allowed or accepted after the two-week deadline. There will be no refunds or credits given for persons missing or absent on the day of your trip.Make a Reservation

How many adult chaperones are required for my field trip?

Discovery World requires at least one adult to act as a chaperone for every ten children in the group. An adult chaperone constitutes all teachers, aides, and/or parents that will be in attendance with your group on your visit date. Failure to meet the required number of adults the day of your visit will result in a $19.00 charge for each missing adult chaperone, plus any programming fees that may apply.

One adult per ten children in attendance will receive complimentary admission to the museum. Any additional adults outside of this 1:10 ratio will be charged the regular group admission rate, in additional to any programming fees included in your reservation.

Students/children are to remain with their adult chaperones at all times. Adult chaperones must remain with their students/children at all times. Chaperones are 100% responsible for the behavior and well-being of the students/children on the trip and must enforce all Discovery World rules and policies. Adults must be actively supervising their students/children in all parts of the museum, including the gift shop, café, labs, theaters, and lunch areas. Groups will be held responsible for missing or damaged items.

Discovery World reserves the right to expel any person or group behaving in a manner we deem unfit. In said cases, that person or group will be asked to leave the building immediately and they will not receive any refunds or credits. Persons or groups that are asked to leave may also jeopardize their chances to reserve or attend future visits to Discovery World.

Where is Discovery World located?

Discovery World
500 North Harbor Drive
Milwaukee, WI 53202

What times/days are you open?

During the academic school year, Discovery World is open for school group bookings most Tuesdays-Fridays from 9am-4pm, and on seasonal Mondays from 9am-4pm. All dates are subject to availability as we do have maximum limits for attendance and programming.

During the 2017-2018 school year, Discovery World will also be open on the following Mondays for groups:

January 1, 2018 (No lab or educational experiences will be available on this date.)

January 15, 2018 (No lab or educational experiences will be available on this date.)

February 19, 2018 (No lab or educational experiences will be available on this date.)

March 26, 2018 (No lab or educational experiences will be available on this date.)

April 2, 2018

April 9, 2018

April 16, 2018

April 23, 2018

April 30, 2018

May 7, 2018

May 14, 2018

May 21, 2018

June 4, 2018 (No lab or educational experiences will be available on this date.)

June 11, 2018 (No lab or educational experiences will be available on this date.)

Please note, there are also a number of dates that are blocked for group bookings due to internal events or building closures. Unavailable dates currently include:

March 6, 2018

May 28, 2018 (Memorial Day)

Dates are subject to change.

How far in advance do reservations need to be made?

Reservations must be made at least least three (3) weeks in advance. Availability is on a first-come, first-serve basis, so advanced booking is highly encouraged, especially near the end of the school year. For all groups, to keep your reservation, we will require final headcount and full payment at least two (2) weeks prior to your visit date. No reservations will be accepted without at least three (3) weeks notice.

What are the fees associated with a school field trip?

Currently, the school group admission rate for certified schools during the academic year is $7/student, $8/adult. The rate for non-school groups or visits outside of the non-academic year, the admission rate is $9/child, $13/adult. We give groups one complimentary adult admission for every 10 students/children attending.

Adding additional programming to your trip does result in additional fees. Additional programming is subject to availability.

Pricing is subject to change. Please see the Price Guide for the most up to date pricing.

When do you need to know my final headcount?

Your final headcount is required at least two (2) weeks prior to your date of visit. Changes to lower your headcount WILL NOT be made or accepted after this two (2) week deadline. Thus, if you need to lower your headcount, it must be relayed to the Reservations Department by your two-week deadline date or you will owe for the headcount we have listed at that time. After that two-week deadline, we will not allow you to decrease your headcount. In addition, there will be no refunds, credits, or passes given for persons missing or absent on the day of your visit.

Additions to your headcount will only be made if space is available. Please let us know, in advance, if you have any extra attendees so we can ensure availability in any programs/activities you have scheduled and so we do not surpass any building or space capacities. If we allow the addition of attendees to your visit, payment for those additional attendees must be submitted prior to your visit date.

Submitting your final headcount is extremely important especially if you have additional programming included on your reservation or are eating lunch here. We have finite amounts of space and capacity limits on all lab, theater, and lunch areas, in addition to general building capacity limits.

When is field trip payment due?

Full payment for your reservation is due at least two (2) weeks prior to your date of visit.

No changes to diminish headcounts will be allowed or accepted after the two-week deadline. Changes to lower your headcount WILL NOT be made or accepted after this two-week deadline. There will be no refunds or credits given for persons missing or absent on the day of your trip.

Discovery World also accepts MasterCard, Visa, American Express, or Discover Card payments over the phone by calling the Reservations Department at 414.765.8625 during their office hours (M-F, 8am-4pm).

Full payment for reservations must be received at least two weeks prior to the date of your visit. No trip is confirmed until full payment is received. Reservations are subject to cancellation if payment is not received by the two (2) week deadline. There will be no refunds or credits given for persons missing or absent on the day of your trip.

Group rates and programs are not valid with Discovery World memberships, or any other discount or promotion.

When can I sign up for a movie, theatrical show, or educational program?

You must register for all programming in advance when booking your field trip. A minimum of three (3) weeks advance notice is required to secure the group rate for field trips and programming. Availability is on a first-come, first-serve basis, so advanced booking is highly encouraged, especially near the end of the school year. Additional programming will result in additional fees.

Educational experiences, labs, movies, and theatrical shows are not available between early June through August as we have our own Summer Camps taking place in all of our lab and theater spaces.

How many students can participate in a lab experience?

There is a 10 student minimum to book any lab experiences. Lab maximum capacities range from 15-25 students per session, depending on the lab desired and/or the venues we have available. If your group contains more students than the limit of a lab allows, we will attempt to split your group up and run multiple sessions to accommodate all of your students. All programming is subject to availability. Some, but not all, labs can be run in more than one room at a time.

How long is an average field trip?

On average, most groups visit for around four hours. It takes about two hours to go through all of our exhibit spaces, which then leaves you plenty of time for your required orientation upon arrival, lunch time, and other activities like theatrical shows, tours, and labs, if scheduled or reserved.

What if I need to cancel or change the date of my field trip?

Should you need to cancel or reschedule your visit, you must do so at least two (2) weeks prior to your visit date. Rescheduling requests made before or by this deadline will be allowed and we will work with you to find a mutually agreed upon new visit date. In this case, your payment will be applied to the new visit date.

Cancellations or rescheduling requests made after the two (2) week deadline, or groups that are no shows, will receive no refunds or credits.

Cancellations due to school/organization weather closures will not be penalized. In said cases, please contact the Reservations Department as soon as possible.

If the reservation has not been cancelled or rescheduled by the two week deadline, all contracts become valid and enforceable.

I’m going to arrive late to my field trip. What do I do?

Please do everything possible to arrive on time and allow enough travel time to account for weather, traffic, road conditions, etc. If your group is going to arrive later than the scheduled arrival time, regardless of reason, please call the Reservations Department at 414.765.8625 to inform us. All scheduled programs begin at the time stated on your confirmation and contract. Late arrivals may result in the cancellation of museum activities (including any labs, shows, movies, and/or tours) without refund regardless to the reason behind the tardiness, even issues with busing. No refunds or credits will be given for missed programming and programming cannot be held or pushed back for groups that arrive late.

Does Discovery World cater to all grades?

We have great activities for students between the grades K-12. Outstanding Educational Lab Experiences begin for 3rd graders and older. In response to teacher feedback, new programs geared towards K-2nd graders were premiered in the 2014-2015 school year.

Make sure to submit your final headcount and payment to the Reservations Department at least two (2) weeks prior to your visit date. No changes to diminish your headcount will be accepted after the two-week mark. No refunds or credits will be issued for cancellations or “no shows” with less than two weeks notice. No trip is confirmed until full payment is received. Reservations are subject to cancellation if payment and final headcount are not received by the two week deadline.

Upon arrival, the first question you will be asked is the ACTUAL count of how many total students and total adults you have in your group. This is the total amount present at that moment, NOT the amount that you submitted to the Reservations Department or have paid for. Having this information will get your group off on the right foot! It is a safety requirement that we know the exact number of people in our building on a particular day, so your orientation and field trip cannot begin until we have those numbers. Please come prepared with this exact count ready to relay to our staff.

Please assign your students to your adult chaperones BEFORE your arrival at Discovery World and separate groups for programming as indicated in your confirmation materials. Materials and space are only prepared or available for the amount of attendees listed on your confirmation. Please respect this number and split your group up as we have specified in your confirmation materials. Please inform your adult chaperones of group splits and make sure each one knows their group’s schedule for the day. Schedules within the same school/organization may differ depending on programs requested or lunch times available.

Where should my bus drop us off?

Starting in September of 2017, construction will be taking place to our building. Thus, if you are arriving by bus, buses will need to drop off your group at the Main Entrance doors. From there, a Guest Services Manager or other Staff Member will be waiting to welcome you, get your actual headcount, make sure all payments are in, give your group a brief, 15 minute orientation, and distribute admission wristbands.

Discovery World does not have bus parking available on-site. Thus, please relay to your bus drivers that they cannot park in our drives or lots. The closest bus parking is available in the Veterans Park parking lot, located about a 10-15 minute walk from our building.

Where should my bus park?

There is no bus parking available on-site. The closest bus parking is available in the Veterans Park parking lot, located about a 10-15 minute walk from our building.

What if I need to rent a wheelchair or a locker?

Our facility is fully handicap accessible. A few wheelchairs are available for free rental with ID. Lockers are available for daily rental in the parking garage for $1.

Can my group eat lunch at Discovery World?

All groups must bring their own food as individual/bag lunches contained in boxes or other suitable containers labeled with your group name. (Other suitable containers include coolers, laundry baskets, plastic storage totes, etc.) Due to programming, other scheduling issues or lunch room capacities, groups may be divided into different lunch times and/or lunch venues. Thus, we highly suggest groups separate lunches into containers based on lunch times.

When groups arrive, lunches will be collected and stored for your group. Your lunchtime begins exactly when it is stated on your schedule. Your lunch time is limited to 30 minutes and must take place in the location in which you are assigned. There will be no exceptions. We book lunch times back-to-back, so you may not arrive early or stay beyond your assigned 30 minute scheduled lunch time frame. Groups that arrive late to their lunch time may not make up lost time by staying later. Please remember that within your 30-minute window, your entire group must also clean up after themselves and wipe down the tables for the next group’s lunch session.

What should my students do with coats, hats, and gloves?

Coats will be collected upon arrival at Discovery World by a Guest Services Manager or Team Leader and stored in a non-public area. You will only get a set amount of bins for coats. Do not expect to be able to split your coats up between classes or groups. If it’s important to you to do so, we suggest bringing labeled garbage bags that chaperones can collect coats in before they are placed in the bins.

Discovery World assumes no liability for lost, stolen, or damaged items. Please advise all students and adult chaperones to leave valuable items at home.

Can students bring backpacks?

Student/children backpacks are NOT allowed on the exhibit floors. If possible, do not allow students/children to bring backpacks on your field trip. Any student/child who does bring a backpack will be required to store it with their group’s coats and they will be locked away until departure. Adult chaperone backpacks are permitted, but please remember no food or drinks are allowed on the exhibit floors.

Discovery World assumes no liability for lost, stolen, or damaged items. Please advise all students and adult chaperones to leave valuable items at home.

Can I buy food at Discovery World?

Due to the limited size of our cafe, dkExpress, groups should not plan to buy their lunches onsite and should instead bring a packed lunch.

Can I buy a souvenir at Discovery World?

Yes. Discovery World is home to a location of Learning Shop. The Learning Shop at Discovery World offers some Discovery World merchandise and other unique items.

A maximum of ten (10) students are allowed in the gift shop at any one time. As throughout the rest of Discovery World, adult chaperones must stay with their students/children while in the gift shop and be actively involved in their supervision. If another group is already inside, you may be asked to wait. Unattended minors will be asked to leave. Groups will be held responsible for any missing or damaged items. Please contact the gift shop at (414) 765-8770 for further information or specific questions regarding inventory.

Online Reservation Request Form

Field Trip Date

1st Choice*

2nd Choice*

3rd Choice*

Contact Information

Name of Teacher*

School Phone Number*

Alternate Phone Number

Email*

Name of School*

School Street Address, City, & Zip*

School Affiliation*

Check all that apply.

MPS

Elementary

Middle

High

Private

Homeschool

K-8

Number of Attendees

Students in Each Grade Level

K

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

5th

6th

7th

8th

9th

10th

11th

12th

Total Number of Adults (Minimum Requirement is 1 for Every 10 Students)*

Preferred Arrival Time*

:HH

MM

Preferred Departure Time*

:HH

MM

Note: Our minimum chaperone requirement is one (1) adult for every 10 students attending. For every 10 students you bring, you’ll get one (1) free adult admission.

Would you like to eat lunch at Discovery World?

For no additional charge, you may bring bag lunches and eat in our lunch room. Discovery World will pre-assign a lunch time in 30-minute intervals. Subject to availability. Groups may be split up for lunches, if needed.

Yes

Would you like to participate in a private, Educational Lab Experiences? (Additional fees apply.) If so, please list your preferred lab title(s) below.

Lab programs are only available for 3rd grade+ only. A few exceptions apply. Please make sure any lab program you are interested in is appropriate for your student’s grade level before selecting. A list of our program options and descriptions can be found at https://www.discoveryworld.org/learning/schools.
[Not available early June through August. Kohl’s Design It! Labs are not available on Fridays. Subject to availability.]

Would you like to participate in a live, theatrical show or an aquarium presentation? (Additional fees apply.)

Would you like to participate in an Aquatarium Adventure? (Additional fees apply.)

K-2nd Gr.

Reiman Aquarium Aquatarium Adventure

Helen Bader Foundation’s Great Lakes Future Aquatarium Adventure

Invasive Species Aquatarium Adventure

Would you like to participate in a 1-Hour CSI Expedition? (Additional fees apply.)

1st-5th Gr. A scavenger hunt and activity stations around Discovery World. The required minimum attendance to run this program is 15 students; Maximum: 50 students. [Not available early June-August. Subject to availability.]

Yes

Would you like to view a movie in our Digital Theater? (Additional fees apply.)

Movie length and titles vary. Please indicate below which movie you would like to view. Movies are available to book October-early June. Not available early June-August. Subject to availability.

Weird Nature: Devious Defenses (30 minutes)

Weird Nature: Marvelous Motion (30 minutes)

Creatures of the Deep (30 minutes)

LIFE: Challenges of Life (30 minutes)

LIFE: Fish (30 minutes)

Earth – The Power of the Planet: Rare Earth (30 minutes)

Nature’s Great Events: The Great Feast (30 minutes)

Secret Life of Money (30 minutes)

Small Talk Diaries (30 minutes)

Weird Connections – How Sticky is Your Gecko? (30 minutes)

Earth – The Power of the Planet: Rare Earth (60 minutes)

Earth – The Power of the Planet: Oceans (60 minutes)

When We Left Earth (60 minutes)

Would you like to participate in a program on the S/V Denis Sullivan? (Additional fees apply.)

Programming aboard a 3-masted Great Lakes schooner. Only available late May through early October. Subject to availability. Please indicate below which Sullivan program you are interested in.

Deck Tours (K-12th Gr)

Dockside Discovery (1st-6th Gr)

Lake Watch Expedtion - 2 Hr (3rd-12th Gr)

Lake Watch Expedition - 3 Hr (3rd-12th Gr)

Eco-Coast Sail - 4 Hr (9th-12th Gr)

Overnight Adventure Sail (9th-12th Gr)

Science Under Sail - 3 to 14 Days (9th-12th Gr)

Additional Notes

Please add any additional notes below regarding special needs, requests, program preferences, or other information we should be aware of.

Membership pays for itself in just two visits!

Membership is the best (and most cost-saving way) for your family to enjoy fun and learning throughout the year!

With all of our memberships you’ll receive free admission, program discounts, special member-only events, and more! Members also enjoy FREE access to the Kohl’s Design It! Lab every weekend of the year.